Traveling as a SARE Scholarship Recipient
Southern SARE offers funds for travel to events where educational information may be imparted or gained for sustainable agriculture. Scholarship recipients are individuals who attend educational events generally through Southern SARE’s Professional Development Program (also known as PDP). For example, Extension agents or mentor farmers who attend events through their State Ag Coordinator are referred to as scholarship recipients.
Southern SARE may also reimburse scholarship recipients in other instances. For example, if graduate students, researchers, farmers or other ag professionals attend events to present their SSARE funded research projects through SARE sponsorship, or if professionals are invited to SARE events for speaking engagements.
The SSARE region includes 13 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Allocation of funds is conducted with a focus on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and organization.
Travel funds can be appropriated in one of two ways, and the procedures for such travel are as follows:
- Fund requests of $2,999 or less may be approved by SSARE administrative staff and must be received at least 30 days prior to the event for which funds are being requested.
- Requests $3,000 and over require the approval of the SSARE Administrative Council or Executive Council and must be received at least 45 days prior to the event for which funds are being requested.
To begin the process, complete the Request for Travel form. Any incomplete forms will be returned.
E-mail your Request for Travel form to David Redhage, PDP Program Manager. Your travel request will be reviewed. If any corrections or revisions are required, we will work with you to make those changes. Approved funds are distributed as a reimbursement.
In order to have expenses reimbursed for SARE-related travel, the following documentation is required:
Reimbursement Guidelines
- If you are traveling through the Professional Development Program, a copy of the Request for Travel Form is required;
- The UGA Supplier Form, completed online;
- A copy of the Southern SARE Scholarship Travel Expense Statement;
- A copy of the Non-employee Payment Form;
- An email of all original receipts (receipts for meals and mileage are not required). All receipts must be in the name of the traveler, and be clear and legible. NOTE: Meals are not included in travel scholarship reimbursements without prior SARE approval;
- If meals have been pre-approved, refer to the SARE Scholarship Travel Guidelines to calculate your reimbursement;
- A copy of the event agenda or event flyer showing the name, location, and dates of the event;
- A qualifying statement indicating justification of the individual attending the event. In general, a qualifying statement is...."John Doe is a county extension agent (or mentor farmer, etc.) and will be doing training from things learned at XYZ event."
The documents and original receipts may be e-mailed. However, all travel forms and receipts MUST BE CLEAR AND LEGIBLE. If any documents are deemed illegible, they will be returned for correction, which will delay reimbursement processing time. Errors, missing/incorrect information, and missing receipts will also delay the processing of reimbursement. ALL reimbursement requests must be submitted within 20 days of the close of the event. Reimbursement requests will not be accepted after 20 days. Send all travel reimbursement forms and receipts to:
Send Travel Documents and Original Receipts Within 20 Days To:
Kayla Martin
Southern SARE
1109 Experiment St., Stuckey Building, Room 203
University of Georgia, Griffin Campus
Griffin, GA 30223-1731
Kayla.martin2@uga.edu
We recommend you make copies of the forms and receipts and keep them in your files for 3 years.
Refer to UGA's Non-Employee Travel Policy for more guidelines.
The State of Georgia has mandatory statewide contracts with specified car rental suppliers for travel within the Continental U.S. UGA requires renting vehicles from these providers when renting a vehicle is the preferred or most advantageous mode of transportation. For more information, visit UGA's website.
NOTE: Per University of Georgia policy, only hotels/motels are allowable lodging establishments for reimbursement. Businesses, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeAway, condos/townhomes, or similar vacation rentals are not allowable lodging services. All travelers need to be aware of this State of Georgia policy and that neither UGA nor USG has the authority to grant exceptions. For UGA to reimburse lodging expenses, travelers must stay at a hotel or motel. For travel reimbursement purposes, all 50 U.S. states are considered domestic travel. The 16 U.S. territories and commonwealths, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are also considered domestic travel.
International travel is not allowed.